Fisherman’s Friends refuse to give up day jobs for US Tour

The Fisherman’s Friends who became an unlikely chart success, have turned down a lucrative offer to tour the US and have decided to keep their day jobs, working on their boats.

The group who went from singing in their local pub to playing the main stage at Glastonbury, have decided to decline an offer to perform for their new fan base in America. The 10-member group, consisting of self-employed businessmen, felt the US tour was ‘too great a gamble’ and will remain in their home town of Port Isaac.

Jeremy Brown, 52, a fisherman said: We realise we are not One Direction, and breaking America takes time and commitment. We have a good life doing what we wanted to do in Port Isaac and the success of the singing is an amazing bonus. However, we know that we cant afford to be away from home for that long or we would lose our livelihood.”

As well as fishermen, the group includes a farmer, a builder, a potter, a pasty-seller and shop keeper. The acapella group who have been together since 1995 and were signed to Universal Music in 2010, recorded their debut album which was certified gold.

Their story will hit the big screens with Nigel Cole as the director, who has teamed up with Ealing studios to bring the story of the band, with filming happening next spring.

Neil O’Brien, the band’s booking agent, said: “In America everyone is fascinated by the prospect of ‘the singing fishermen’ and the film that is being made about them. Since the announcement of the movie, we have been inundated with offers for them to perform on the other side of the pond. We are disappointed that we will not be able to say yes to what would be the pinnacle of most performers’ careers, but we cannot argue with their reasoning.”

It has been tribulant times for the Cornish group. In february, the band’s group member Trevor Grills and tour manager Paul McMullen, were both killed after becoming trapped under a metal door at a concert venue.

In a follow up to their 150,000-selling debut, the band will be releasing their new album, ‘One And All’, this month.